Shoe filling machine



Sept. 19, 1933. c E-ATQN 1,927,279

SHOE FILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l r F 545072 k3,; a... 0 %J p 1933- c. F. EATON v SHOE FILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 19, 1933. c. F. EATON SHOE FILLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 4, 1952 lll ll l lll Ir in: 6 Zes'F 3 Patented Sept. 19, .1933

PATENT OFFICE 7 1,927,219 I snon FILLING MACHINE Charles F. Eaton,

to North American West Newbury, Mass., assignor Chemical Company, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts- Application October 4,1932. Serial No. 636,199

16 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for spreading, leveling and pressing shoe bottom filler, especially filler of the heat plastic type, in the bottom cavities of shoes.

A principal characteristic of the present invention is that the substantially flat pressing and spreading member makes its initial engagement with the shoe and filler to be spread at an inclination to the shoe bottom, and then rocks into substantial parallelism with the shoe bottom at the end of the pressing stroke, thereby not only spreading the filler to the confines of the cavity and pressing it into a thin, compact layer'but at the same time displacing or crowding the filler in a predetermined direction, preferably toward the shank of the shoe, where any excess or surplus of filler may be readily knocked or stripped ofi. A further feature of the invention isthat the initial inclination of the spreading member 530 may be adjusted and varied both in extent and in direction; and that the rocking movement of the spreading member may be in either direction according to the direction of inclination of the spreading member.

The invention also includes novel features of construction of the shoe support as well as additional features of construction of the pressing and spreading member and its actuating mechanism, all as hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a shoe filling machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically the action of the machine on the work under certain conditions of adjustment; v e

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 4 is an elevation partly in section of a detail hereinafter described; y V

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a central vertical section of the shoe rest or support; and

Fig. '7 is a top plan View of the base partof said shoe support.

The frame of the machine comprises a base 10, adapted to be fastened to a bench or other suitable support, and an upright member 11 rising from the bafsenear its front and provided at the top with a pair of lugs 12, 12. These lugs are formed with apertures to receive a pivot pintle 13 which supports and serves as the fulcrum for a walking beam lever 14, whose hub is positioned between the two lugs.

, The rearwardly extending arm of the walking beam lever 14 is pivotally connected at 15vvith the upper end of a pitman 16, whose lower end is connected to a crank arm 17 .by means of a wrist pin 17% The crank arm 17 is fast on a shaft 18 which forms .part of a transmission mechanism 7 19 fastened to the top of the base mat the rear ,dian line of link 27 by On shaft 18 is fixed a worm cf the upright 11. gear 20 (Fig. 5) which is driven by a worm 21 fast on shaft 22. The rear end of shaft 22 carries a grooved pulley 23, which is connected by a belt 24 with a grooved pulley 25 fast on the armature shaft of an electric motor 26 fastened on the base 10 beside the transmission device 19. The motor acts through the belt 24 and the power transmission mechanism 19 to rotate the shaft 18, whose crank arm 17 acts through pitman 16 to oscillate the walking beam lever 14.

The forwardly extending arm on the walking beam lever 14 is pivotally upper end of a pendant link 27. The link 27 is pivotally connected at its lower end at 29 to a pair of ears 30 provided on the top side of a plate 31, which constitutes part ofthe shoe filler spreading, leveling and pressing pad structure. The plate 31 is normally held at right angles to the metwo springs 32, 32, disposed at opposite sides of the pivot 29 and confined within sockets 33 formed in the end of link 27. Underneath the plate 31 is a pressure pad 34 consisting of a metal plate which is constructed at opposite edges with upstanding ears 36, 36 engaging opposite edges of plate 31. Between plate 31 and pressure pad 34 are a number of springs 37 which abut at their upper ends against plate 31 and at their lower ends against the top of pad 34, thereby normally holding the pad 34 with its flat bottom parallel to plate 31. plate 31 and pad 34 are preferably of rectangular shape, as shown inFig. 2', and four of said springs 37 are provided, one near each corner. Lugs or bosses 38 arranged on the bottom of plate 31 and on the top of pad 34 hold the springs 3'7 against displacement. The pad 34 is made with two horizontal, cylindrical, heating chambers 39, 39 which communicate with a box 40 fastened by a screw 41 (Fig. 1) to the side of pad 34. Within each chamber 39 is an'electrical heating unit 42 whose circuit wires extend through box 40, and thence through a flexible rubber tube 43 to the interior of the hollow upright frame member 11.

The circuit wires of the motor 26 also extend through a flexible rubber tube 44 to the interior of the hollow upright 11.

The flexible tube 43 permits freedom of movement of the pad 36 up and down with the walking beam lever 14, and the flexible tube 44' permits adjustment of the motor 26 on the base 10 of the machine frame toward and from the transmission device 19 as may be required by the condition of the belt 24.

Upon the. front wall of the hollow uprights 11 are three push-button switches each of the type comprising two push-buttons, the operation of one ofwhich closes its circuit'and the operation of the other of which opens its circuit. One of these switches comprises a pair of push-buttons connected at 28 to the I from the base 10 of the machine frame.

45, (Fig. 5) for controlling the circuit of the motor 26; another switch comprises'the pushbuttons 46, as controlling the circuit of the heating units 42 in pad 34; and the third switch comprises a pair of push-buttons 47, 47, by which the circuit of an electrically heated knife holder 48 is controlled.

The knife holder 48 a box so constructed with knife-receiving slots or pockets 49 and contains one or more electrical heating units indicatedby dotted lines at 52 (Fig. l). The box 50 is fixed to, one end of a conduit arm 51 which is rigidly fastened at its opposite end to the rear wall of the upright 11 on the frame, and the circuit wires 51 from the heating unit 52 are carried through the conduit arm 51 into the interior of the upright .11 where they are connected to the switch controlled by buttons 47, 47. The conduit arm 51 has an opening at its rear side which is closed by a cover plate 53 removably fastened by screws 54. This opening and cover plate are directly behind the heating unit 52 so that by removing the cover plate the heating unit can readily be withdrawn from the knife holder when desired.

Two links 55, 55 are pivoted'on a pintle 56 carried by a bracket 57 (Fig. 4) mounted on the front of the upright 11 withprovision for vertical justment by means of screws 58 which extend through vertical slots 59 provided in the lower part of the bracket 57. The opposite ends of links 55, 55 are pivoted to the ends of the pintle 29 which is carried by the lower end of the pendant link 27. V and control the path of movement and conse quently the position and inclination of the pressing and spreading member 34 with relation to the shoe bottom, as the pad structure, including the abutment plate 31 and the spreading plate 34, carried by the lower end of the pendant link 27, is raised and lowered by the lever 14.

Directly below the heated pressing and spread ing pad 34 is a jack or shoe supporting structure 59, including a tubular base member 60 provided with flanges 61 and 62 directly below the flanges, fitting into a slot 6'3 formed in a shelf '63, which extends forwardly flanges 61 and 62 shelf 63. I The flange 61 is made with a series of notches 64, any one of which may be engaged by the upwardly extending armor" a locking lever 65 (Figs. 3, 5 and, 7). The locking lever 65 'is held in looking engagement with the notches on flange 61 by a spring 67 (Fig. 5). pivot 66, the locking lever 65 is made with a finger-piece by which the lever may be disengaged from the flange 61.

On the side of the shelf 63 opposite to the locking lever 65 is mounted a screw 68, which engages a threaded aperture in the side of the shelf. The inner end of the screw .68 may be manually set tightly against. the rectangular part-of the. tubular base member 60, by means of a crank arm or-handle 69 provided on the outer end of the screw. By this means the base member 60 may be clamped in position on the shelf 63 against movement in any direction.

The lower end portion of the base member 60 is interiorly threaded to receive the threaded'stem of a screw'70, which is provided at its lower end with a'hand wheel 71 for manual adjustment of (Figs. 1 and 5) comprises to a position appropriate 7 of spreadable shoe and still on the pressing plate The rest upon the top of the slotted and dash line r-;c in Fig. 2.

the screw. The screw may be secured in its adjusted position by a lock nut 72,.which is tightened against the lower end of the base member ,60. The upper end of screw 70 supports a spring seat member 73, against which abuts the lower end of a coil spring 74 inside of the tubular base member 60. Upon the upper end of spring 74 rests a plunger or post 75 provided at one side with a tongue or key 76 engaging a vertical groove 77 formed in the bore of the tubular member 60. By means of the key 76 and groove 77 the post 75 and base member 60 are splined together so that the post will not rotate in the tubular base member but is free to slide vertically. The top of post 75 is made with an open, partly cylindrical pocket 78, in which is loosely seated a shoe supporting roll 79 preferably consisting of an outer layer or cushion 80 of resilient rubber and a metal core 81. The roll 79 may be adjusted vertically by means of the screw 70 and set in adjusted position so as normally to occupy a position relative to the working face of the pressing and spreading member 34 appropriate to the size, shape and style of shoe being operated upon. The locking devices 65 and 68 permit the shoe support to be also adjusted forward and backward to the shoe being operated upon. I v I Preparatory to using the machine a quantity filler sufiicient to fill the cavity is deposited in the usual way on the inner sole in the bottom cavity of the shoe. The shoe S, held upside down in the hands of the operator last, is then placed in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 with its forepart resting on the shoe supporting member 79 underneath the pressing and spreading pad 34. The pad is normally held away from the abutment plate 31 by springs 37 to the limit of movement permitted byscrews 82, set in the edges of plate 31 and working in slots 83 provided in the ears-36 of pad 34. It will also be noted that the pad structure, comprising the abutment plate 31 34, although normally held perpendicular to the median line of link 27 by springs 32, 32, may be caused to rock in a direction lengthwise of the shoe on pintle 29 by which it is connected to link 27. V 1

As the pad structure is reciprocated by the operating lever 14 toward andfrom the shoe resting on the shoe support, it is guided by thelinks 55 so as to control the path of movement and the angular p'ositionof the face of the pressing pad 34 with relation to'the shoe bottom at the moment when the pad engages the filler in the shoe bottom cavity at the beginning of the spreading and pressing operation. 'Thispath of movelevel of the. pintle 29 when the pad -15 in pressing position, the link 27 and the pad structure wi be swung toward the right on pivot 28, and the pad 34-will be tilted'or inclined with relation to the horizontally held bottom of the shoe, so that the initial engagement of .the face of the pad with the filler and shoe bottom will be at the toe or forward end of the shoe, as indicated the dot Thereafter, as the pacity of the pad afford a yielding cushion avoid injury rearwardly on the shoe bottom,.as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, into substantial parallelism with the shoe bottom at the end of the pressing stroke, thereby spreading and pressing the filler material in the shoe bottom cavity and at the same time crowding it rearwardly or toward the shank part of the shoe. This rocking action is permitted by the pivotal connection of the pad structure at 29 to the link 27.

When the pivotal connection 56 of the guiding links 55. is adjusted upward, the inclination of the working face of the pad to the horizontal shoe bottom will be such that thepad will engage the filler and shoe bottom, firstat the shank end of the cavity, as indicated by the dot and dash'line y-y in Fig. 2, and will thereafter rock forward toward the toe during its spreading and pressing operation. If the pivota links 55 is adjusted centrally,

connection 56 of the guiding so that the axis of 56 and theaxis of 29 lie in a A lane parallel to the plane of the axes 13 and 28 of the operating lever 14 when the pad is at the bottom of its downward stroke, the surface of the pad will be substantially parallel to the horizontal surface of the shoe bottom, and will applythe pressure without appreciable rocking action.

These verticaladjustments of the pivotal connection 56 are made by adjusting the bracket 5'7 vertically on the upright 11 by means of the bolt and slot connections 58, 59. The rocking ca- 34 is also contributed to in part by the springs 37 which give the pad a certain freedom to rock in any direction and so adjust itself to the shoe bottom. The springs 3'7 not only permit the'pads B l to rock, but also for the action of the pressing memberagainst the shoe. When the press is at the limit shoe support is permitted to yield sufiiciently to to the shoe by reason of the rubber of the roll '79 and the spring '74. It will be understood that the spring '74 should be relatively stiii as compared to the springs 3'7 so that the springs '37 will yield before the spring '74 yields. The filler is usually manually transferred by the operator in a more or less shapeless mass indicatedat F (Fig. 2), from a heating and conditioning receptacle, holding a supply of filler, to the shoe bottom by means of a knife or trowel. In order to keep the knife heated and in proper condition for use the blade is inserted and held in one of the slots 49 of the knife holder 48. Two or. more knives may be provided so that one is being heated while the other is in use.

. The differences in the curvatureof the instep portions of shoes of difierent sizes and shapes may be accommodated by adjusting the shoe support 59 forward or backwardupon the shelf 63. The tension of spring 74 may be adjusted by the adjusting screw 70 to varythe upward pressure exerted on the shoe supporting roll '79 in opposition to the pressure of thespreading pad 34. Such adjustment of the spring be desirable, not only in treatingdifferent styles and sizes of shoes but to suit fillers of varying degrees of hardness or plasticity.

"The opposite side wallsfof the upright 11 of the frame consist of plates 84, which are removably, fastened to the frame byscrews 85, thereby affording ready access to the interior of the upright 11 by removing one or both of the platesl of its downward stroke the at an inclination to the '74 may I claim:

l. A shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporting member, a filler pressing and spreading member mounted on the machine in position to make engagement with the filler at an' inclination to the bottom of a shoe resting on the shoe supporting member, mechanism to move one of said members toward and from the other, and means to cause the pressing and spreading member to rock into substantial parallelism with the shoe bottom at the end of the pressing and spreading stroke, thereby to crowd the filler in a predetermined direction.

2. A, shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporting member, a fillerpressing and spreadingmember mounted on the machine in position to make engagement with the filler at an inclination to the bottom of a shoe resting on the shoe supporting member, mechanism to move one of said members toward and from the other, and means to cause the pressing and spreading member to rock in a direction lengthwise of the shoe and into substantial parallelism with the shoe bottom at the end of the pressing and spreading stroke, thereby to crowd the filler lengthwise of the shoe.

3; A shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporting member, a filler pressing and spreading member mounted on the machine in position to make engagement with the filler at an incli-.

nation to the bottom of .a shoe resting on the shoe supporting member, means to vary the inclination of the pressing and spreading mem-- ber, mechanism to move one of said members toward and from the other, and means to cause the pressing and spreading member to rock into substantial parallelism with the shoe bottom at the end of the pressing and spreadingstroke, thereby to crowd the filler in a predetermined direction.

4. A shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporting member, a filler pressing and spreading member mounted on the machine in position tomake its initial engagement with the toe of a shoe resting on the shoe supporting member and at an inclination to the shoe bottom, mechanism to move one of said members toward-and from the other, and means to cause the pressing and spreading member to rock toward the shank of the shoe and into substantial parallelism with the shoe bottom at the end of the pressing and spreading stroke, thereby to crowd the filler toward the shank of the shoe.

5. A shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporting member, a filler pressing and. spreading member, mechanism for moving the filler pressing and spreading member toward and from a shoe resting on the shoe supporting member, means for guiding the pressing and spreading member in its movement toward the shoe so as, to cause the latter member to engage the filler bottom of the shoe, and means to cause the pressing and spreading member to rock into substantial parallelism with the shoe bottom at the end of its pressing and spreading stroke.

6. A shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporting member, a filler pressing and spreading ,member, a reciprocating member to which the pressing and; spreading member is pivotally connected, means for actuating the reciprocating member to move the pressing and spreading mem- ..ber toward and from theshoe supporting mem-' ber, means for guiding the pivoted pressing and spreading member in its movement toward a] shoe resting on the shoe supporting member so as to cause the pressing and spreading member to engage the filler at an inclination to the shoe bottom, and means to cause the pressing and spreading member to rock into substantial paral- 5 lelism with the'shoe bottom at the end of its pressing and spreading stroke.

7. A shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporting member, a filler pressing and spreading member, an actuating lever to which the pressing and spreading member is pivotally connected, means for reciprocating the actuating lever to move the pressing and spreading member toward and from the shoe supporting member, means for guiding the pivoted pressing and spreading member in its movement toward a shoe resting on the shoe supporting member so as to cause the pressing and spreading member to the filler at an inclination to the shoe bottom, and means to cause the pressing and spreading member to rock into substantial parallelism with the shoe bottom at the end of its pressing and spreading stroke.

8. A shoe filling machine, comprising a shoe supporting member, a filler pressing and spreading member, an actuating lever to which the pressing and spreading member is pivotally connected, means for reciprocating the actuating lever to move the pressing and spreading member toward andifrom the shoe supporting member, means to permit the pressing and spreading men ber to rock while in engagement with the filler, and a link for guiding the pivoted pressing and spreading member in its movement toward the shoe supporting member, one end of the link being pivotally connected with the pressing and spreading member and the other end of the link being connected with the machine frame.

9. A shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporting member, a filler pressing and spreading member, an actuating lever to which the pressing and spreading member is pivotally connected, means for reciprocating the actuating lever to move the pressing and spreading member toward and from the shoe supporting member, means to permit the pressing and spreading memto rock while in engagement with the filler, and a link for guiding the pivoted pressing and spreading member in its movement toward the shoe supporting member, one end of the link being pivotally connected with the pressing and spreading lnember andthe other end of the link being connected with the machine frame, the pivotal connection between the link and the machine frame being adjustable to vary the path of movement of the pressing and spreading member. i

it. A shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporti g member, a filler pressing andspreadan actuating lever to which the and spreading member is pivotally coned, for reciprocating the actuating to move the pressing and spreading memiard and from the shoe supporting memns to permit the pressing and spreading er to rock while in engagement with the i, and a link for guiding the pivoted pressing spreading member in itsmovem'ent toward porting member, one end of the link being pivotally connected with the pressing and ea ng member and the other end of 'the v connected with the machine frame, the otai connection between the link and the machine frame being adjustable in a direction approximately parallel with the path bf the pressing and spreadingmember; i

spreading member sockets.

11. A shoe filling machine comprising a shoe supporting member, a filler pressing and spreadber, means to permit the pressing and spreading member to rock while in engagement with the filler, and a link for guiding the pivoted pressing and spreading member in its movement toward the shoe supporting member, one end of thelink being pivotally connected with the pressing and spreading member and the other endof the link being connected with the machine frame, thepivotal connection between the link and the machine frame being adjustable in a direction approximately parallel with the path of the pressing and spreading member and to an extent in either direction to position the pressing and at one inclination, or at the opposite inclination, or parallel to the shoe bottom resting on the shoe supporting member.

shoe filling machine comprising a frame, a shoe supporting member on the frame, a lever fulcrumed on the frame, a pendant link pivotally connected to the lever, a guide link, one end of which is pivotally connected to the lower part of the pendant link and the other end of which is pivotally connected to the frame, and a pressing and spreading pad structure including an abutment plate pivotally connected to the lower end of the pendant link so as to rock on a horizontal axis, and a spreading plate yieldingly mounted on the abutment plate.

13. A shoe filling machine comprising a frame, a shoe supporting member on the frame, a lever fulcrumed on the frame, a pendant link pivotally connected to the lever, a guide link, one end of which is pivotally connected to the lower part of the pendant link and the other end of which is pivotally connected to the frame, and a pressing and spreading pad structure including an abutment plate pivotally lower end of the pendant link so as to rock on a horizontal axis, two springs, one at each side of ti e pivot interposed between the abutment plate and the pendant link, and a spreading plate yieldingly mounted on the abutment plate;

14. In a shoe filling machine, a frame and shoe support mounted on the frame comprising a tubular base member, a coil spring in the base member, a plunger mounted to slide vertically in the base member and yieldingly supported by the coil spring, and a cushioned shoe rest on top of the plunger above the tubular base member.

15. In a shoe filling machine, a frame having a slot, and a shoe support mounted in said slot comprising a tubular base member formed with flanges resting on the frame at each'side of the slot, a coil spring in the base member, a plunger inounted-to slide vertically in the base member and yieldingly supported by the coil spring, and a cushioned shoe rest on top of the plunger above the tubular base member.

16. In a shoe filling machine, a frame having a slot, and a shoe support mounted in said slot comprising a base member formed with flanges resting on the frame at each side of the slot, one or s sockets, and a locking member mounted on the frame and arranged to engage any one of said CHARLES F, EATON.

connected to the id flanges being provided with a series of 

